"OUR WOMEN OF SANDWICH"
(2020 Summer Virtual Exhibit)
KATIE GOEMMEL POHL
~ Katie celebrating her 88th birthday ~
Katie was an adventurous and courageous woman, who at the age of 23, left her hometown of Nuremburg, Germany, where she was born and raised and immigrated to the U.S. Trained as a seamstress, she arrived at Ellis Island in March 1929, seven months before the start of the Great Depression. Her first employment was as a nanny in New York City. Later, while employed as a maid on an estate in White Plains, New York, she met her husband to be. Henry Pohl, a fellow German immigrant, worked as a gardener on the same estate. They married in 1934, and after working together as a couple for the novelist, Faith Baldwin in New Canaan, CT, they decided, in 1938, to return to their homeland to live. With all their possessions and a car, they first journeyed to Nuremburg to visit Katie’s family. It was here that they witnessed a Nazi Rally and experienced Kristall Nacht or night of broken glass where Nazi Stormtroopers smashed the storefronts of Jewish merchants. Shocked at how their countrymen worship this screaming idiot, they nevertheless journeyed to East Prussia, Germany’s eastern most province where Henry was from to purchase a farm. In the spring of 1939, Henry and Katie, with a premonition that war would break out, elected to leave all their possessions behind except their car and a few suitcases and returned to America. They resumed employment with Faith Baldwin and later moved to Pleasantville, NY where Henry began a small landscaping and greenhouse business.
In 1956 after having discovered Sandwich, NH and constructing a home there between 1950-1956, the Pohls, once again, at the age of 50, started a new life all over again. Katie soon developed a reputation for her many skills. These included making jams and jellies, which she sold through the Sandwich Home Industries. She was particularly noted for her hot pepper jelly, receiving orders from customers around the country. Another talent was cooking. She loved to bake, and Peter (her son) reported he never once ate a store bought cookie growing up. The household was particularly crazy at Christmas time when Katie would bake for several weeks delivering her creations to her many friends and town employees as an expression of gratitude for their friendship and service to the town. During the winter, Katie kept occupied by knitting sweaters, scarfs and hats. These again were marketed through the Industries and many gifted to her friends.
Katie lived a long and productive life. At the age of 82, she had a major heart operation that prolonged her life for seven years. As an expression of gratitude to the heart surgeon and his family, Katie would knit hats each Christmas for his seven children. At the age of 89, those busy hands that had been so productive filling a house full of creations, fell still on May 8, 1996. She was a devoted mother, wife and friend to countless people, always placing others ahead of herself.
Peter Pohl (son)
April 2020
In 1956 after having discovered Sandwich, NH and constructing a home there between 1950-1956, the Pohls, once again, at the age of 50, started a new life all over again. Katie soon developed a reputation for her many skills. These included making jams and jellies, which she sold through the Sandwich Home Industries. She was particularly noted for her hot pepper jelly, receiving orders from customers around the country. Another talent was cooking. She loved to bake, and Peter (her son) reported he never once ate a store bought cookie growing up. The household was particularly crazy at Christmas time when Katie would bake for several weeks delivering her creations to her many friends and town employees as an expression of gratitude for their friendship and service to the town. During the winter, Katie kept occupied by knitting sweaters, scarfs and hats. These again were marketed through the Industries and many gifted to her friends.
Katie lived a long and productive life. At the age of 82, she had a major heart operation that prolonged her life for seven years. As an expression of gratitude to the heart surgeon and his family, Katie would knit hats each Christmas for his seven children. At the age of 89, those busy hands that had been so productive filling a house full of creations, fell still on May 8, 1996. She was a devoted mother, wife and friend to countless people, always placing others ahead of herself.
Peter Pohl (son)
April 2020
Katie would sweep the road in the spring to remove the winter sand. She also raked under the rhododendrons that lined the hillside. If you drive the road today you will see rhodies growing on the other side of the road where she dumped her leaves.
She always made our family favorite ~ Schnecken ~ to repay any favor that was done for her. She was a pleasure to help!
Rowan Family (friend and neighbor)
August 2020
Schecken (German origin) is a type of sweet bun and means snail, so aptly named because of its shape.
She always made our family favorite ~ Schnecken ~ to repay any favor that was done for her. She was a pleasure to help!
Rowan Family (friend and neighbor)
August 2020
Schecken (German origin) is a type of sweet bun and means snail, so aptly named because of its shape.
I fondly recall her entries in the Sandwich Fair; she would win whatever category she entered. However, when the Fair went to three days, she would no longer enter any baked goods because they would not stay fresh enough, and she did not want anyone eating something she made that was not fresh!
Loretta Rowan (friend and neighbor)
August 2020
Loretta Rowan (friend and neighbor)
August 2020